Stefen Wisniewski free agency

[Twinkie defense]

Reggie McKenzie has his Wiz-replacement lined up with former KC center Rodney Hudson. Hudson is supposed to be a good fit for a more-uptempo offense catering to Derek Carr's skills. Hudson signed a huge deal with the Raiders - 5 years, $44.5 mil, with $20 mil guaranteed - making him I believe the 3rd highest paid center in the League, behind Pouncey's new deal and Alex Mack. It's such a big move, and such a surprising FA splash deal, that it will be interesting to track Hudson's time as a Raider and how he performs relative to Stefen Wisniewski.

In Wiz news, he has been getting a lot of interest in free agency (Titans, Jaguars, Patriots, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Bears), but no team has yet pulled the trigger. Reasons for the delay likely include his recently disclosed surgery to repair a torn labrum (he also played his rookie season at guard with a torn labrum), and also a change the the League's free agent calendar:

the league has moved up from June 1 to May 12 the date after which newly-signed unrestricted free agents no longer count against their new team's compensatory-draft-pick total.

Previously, any team signing another team's unrestricted free agent – i.e., a player whose previous contract expired or was voided as opposed to a player who was released – before June 1 would potentially lose a compensatory selection in the following year's draft. Clayton estimated that a player like Wisniewski would cost his new team a fifth- or sixth-round compensatory pick.

With that deadline moving up, though, any unrestricted free agents that remain unsigned after May 12 will become what are known as street free agents, which have no bearing on the compensatory-pick formula. May 12 is 10 days after the conclusion of the draft and a couple weeks before most teams begin Organized Team Activities. As ProFootballTalk.com noted, that means that a team with remaining needs after the draft could wait until then to sign a free agent and still have him in place for OTAs.

In related news, The Tennessee Titans should steal Stefen Wisniewski

According to Pro Football Focus, If you take the last time that Mike Pouncey played center (which is what he is getting paid for because he was a terrible guard in 2014) and compare his performance to Stefen Wisniewski’s, the former Oakland Raider was the better player.

Stefen Wisniewski graded out with a 0.5 pass block grade, 0.5 screen block grade, 10.0 run blocking grade, and a 0.4 penalty grade for a total of 11.4 points. Mike Pouncey on the other hand graded out with a 6.2 pass blocking grade, a 1.0 screen blocking grade, a 1.6 run blocking grade, and a -0.6 penalty grade for a total of 8.2.

Unless the Tennessee Titans are planning to pass the ball a lot more in 2015, you could even go as far as to say that Stefen Wisniewski is the better fit for the Tennessee Titans outright.

[FNQ]

Which teams from the above project to have compensatory picks?

Seattle: Maxwell
Patriots: Revis, Vereen, Wilfork
Bears, Titans, Jaguars, Buccaneers: no one significant

So really only the Pats (Seahawks signing Cary Williams and Rubin should offset their only starter being signed away) and they've made some adds already as well. Of course, good free agents never really make it to the 3rd tier of FA, the post-comp part. Wiz is likely looking at a one year, prove it deal, or a deal with very little guaranteed money beyond year 1. The post-comp part is entirely irrelevant unless Wiz has a wink-wink deal with the Pats already in place.

If the Titans should take Wiz, they should do it now. Because they have no comp picks coming after landing Orapko, Searcy, Cox, Douglas, and Fasano.

[Twinkie defense]

Yeah there is not a lot of money sitting around for the top remaining free agents (Crabtree, Wiz, Gresham, Brandon Spikes, Joe Barksdale). However it's too soon to say who will be getting what compensatory picks next summer, since the League uses a secret formula involving salary, playing time (TBD), and postseason honors (TBD) to dole out these extra picks. The market is not hot for Wiz, so why not wait until after the draft?

If Wiz's shoulder is not a problem and he has a great season, he could potentially cost any team that signs him now a compensatory pick. And there's no reason to sign him today anyway, before the draft, before camp, before you have more info on his shoulder surgery.

[FNQ]

Understood, but who have the Titans, Jags, Bears, or Bucs lost that could conceivably net them a pick? I think there's a rule against the Bucs getting a comp pick for Michael Johnson (something about a player generating comp picks in consecutive years), and he's the best bet. Otherwise, the top guy who's left any of those 4 teams.. Lance Briggs? Chris Conte? I can't think of anyone there.. those teams shouldn't hesitate to move.

If Wiz is choosing between Seattle and New England, that makes more sense. But the other 4 teams need to strike now.

Seems like there's a lot of cap still out there actually. Supposedly Wiz only wanted 4m, Crabs only wants 4.5, Barksdale wanted the most at 7m. Gresham is sitting around due to injury alone.. and I'm not sure on Spikes. I'd love him here frankly, a great 2 down ILB. Would conceivably make it easy for us to switch from 4-3 to 3-4 as we saw fit. Lofton isn't a natural 3-4 ILB, but he's smart and it would help with his declining footspeed

[Twinkie defense]

Wiz visited the Washington football team on Friday. They had mixed zone and power blocking schemes last season, with more power blocking in store next season, and their incumbent is on the small side.

Wisniewski is certainly talented enough to find work, but concerns about the torn labrum in his shoulder which ended his season obviously remain, leading to the time on the road.

If I was a Raiders player, thinking about gutting it out and playing through injury, I think I might instead take time off to heal - we see what Wiz got for gutting it out.

[Neddy]

i was really behind this kid when we drafted him but it was only because of his name. this kid is not Steve. he never was and never will be. he had one dominant year as as run blocker, but I have come to realize that the old way of Al picking his Scholarship players based on whatever the emotional value he saw fit never panned out and it's time to move on. I think he deserves a chance but his salary should be way below even what Crabtree got and no way he is gonna get even half of what he is asking from us.

[GoRapstheoriginal]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12715 ... -year-deal

[Quake Griffin]

lol at a one year prove it deal with the Jags.

not laughing at Wiz per se. More the people that went to the end of the earth to defend Wiz just to spite Reggie.
I wish Wiz all the best.

[Twinkie defense]

2.5 mil? Too expensive for Reggie I guess!

[Neddy]

2.5 mil? Too expensive for Reggie I guess!

come on he was never gonna sign here for that same money and you know it.

[FNQ]

Too expensive for Belicheck, Carroll too. Too expensive for everyone except the team that paid a one note TE 10m a year and paying tons of guaranteed, long term money to system players.

A labrum torn twice though.. Yikes. He's lucky he got that much.

[Quake Griffin]

All the evidence to show you that moving on was a good idea and still it's a problem.

LMAO!

[FNQ]

A couple of the Raiders forums I lurk at have been lauding Reggie for passing on Wiz, citing his performance in healthy seasons as average, and using the Jags un-willingness to go more than one year on a deal as evidence. Kinda agree, but I'm betting its more about the labrum than anything... even average Cs get paid more than 2.5m in the open market.

As someone who's had multiple labrum surgeries, I know Wiz is going to need some luck to continue his NFL career.. that shoulder will slip out and tear the labrum again, doing something small like even getting out of bed.